of the Council of Maryland, 1778-1779. 323

could not Man and the Price of Workmanship Labour and
every Article necessary for finishing and fitting out Vessels
having greatly advanced the Council and I thought, as things
were circumstanced, it would be a reprehensible Waste
of the Public Money to lay out the Sum it would have taken
in fitting out the Annapolis and therefore nothing has been
done on her in Pursuance of the 15^th § of the 10th Act of the
last Session, but if it still continues your Desire to have that
Galley fitted out, we shall chearfully have it done with all
Expedition
Gen^l Assembly
17^th March 1779

[Council to Assembly.]

Gent, of the Gen^l Assembly
M^r Thomas Harwood Commissioner of the Continental
Loan office in this State has laid before this Board the inclosed
Order from the Treasury Office and wishes that a precise
Mode of conducting the Business of the State Treasury may
be pointed out and he enabled to comply with the Terms and
Intention of the above mentioned Order. It appears to us to

C. C.

be the Interest of this State that the Continental Bills, of the
Emissions of May 1777 and April 1778 in the State Treasury,
should immediately be placed in the Hands of the Commis-
sioner of the Continental Loan Office, and that all the Bills of
those Emissions which can be drawn into the Public Treasury
Time enough to be delivered in by the first Day of June,
should be disposed of in the same Manner; we request you
to consider this Subject and, if you think proper, to make a
suitable Provision. Considerable Sums of Money were issued
out of the Treasury in the Months of December and January,
some in Payment of public Debts others to be expended in the
Purchase of Provisions for the State and large Sums were sent
to Gen^l Smallwood for the Presents to the Maryland Officers
and to pay the State Bounty to the nine Months Men who
reinlisted; these Sums were delivered out, partly of the Emis-
sions of May 1777 and April 1778. Gen^l Smallwood's Letter
which was laid before you at the Opening of the Session shews
that the Bills sent to him of the Emissions called in, will not
answer the designed Purposes and we have had frequent Appli-
cations to exchange the Bills of these Emissions issued out of the
Treasury for other of the Purposes mentioned above. In some
Instances, from the Hardship of the Case of the Holders, we
were strongly inclined to have ordered the Exchange, if we
could, with Propriety have done so. We request your Direction

p. B. 226